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Brinkley Clarifies 'NY Times' Quote on Kerry
Editor & Publisher ^ | September 24, 2004

Posted on 09/24/2004 5:23:42 PM PDT by blogblogginaway

NEW YORK Stung by a quote attributed to him in Friday's New York Times, author and historian Douglas Brinkley issued an unusual clarification this afternoon.

In a news analysis titled "Truth Be Told, the Vietnam Crossfire Hurts Kerry More," Jodi Wilgoren quoted Brinkley commenting on recent attacks against both Kerry and Bush relating to their Vietnam era service: "Every American now knows that there's something really screwy about George Bush and the National Guard, and they know that John Kerry was not the war hero we thought he was."

This "not the hero we thought he was" had to raise eyebrows, as Brinkley recently wrote a very favorable biography of Kerry centering on his Vietnam years. It certainly caught the attention of Matt Drudge, who highlighted it on his popular Web site.

Brinkley then issued this statement via U.S. Newswire, and paid for by Kerry-Edwards 2004:

(Excerpt) Read more at 199.249.170.220 ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: brinkley; clarifies; dougbrinkley; kerry; kerryquote

1 posted on 09/24/2004 5:23:42 PM PDT by blogblogginaway
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To: blogblogginaway
paid for by Kerry-Edwards 2004
2 posted on 09/24/2004 5:24:18 PM PDT by counterpunch (The CouNTeRPuNcH Collection - www.counterpunch.us)
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To: counterpunch

I believed him, before I decided not to believe him.




What a schmuck this guy is!


3 posted on 09/24/2004 5:27:08 PM PDT by Mr. Jazzy (Kerry broke the faith, pure and simple.)
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To: blogblogginaway
Brinkley then issued this statement via U.S. Newswire, and paid for by Kerry-Edwards 2004

But he's an independent historian, right? Gimme a break.

4 posted on 09/24/2004 5:27:42 PM PDT by NYCVirago
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To: counterpunch

They got to him...


5 posted on 09/24/2004 5:27:53 PM PDT by nuffsenuff
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To: blogblogginaway
Original story link
6 posted on 09/24/2004 5:30:03 PM PDT by martin_fierro ('n'at.)
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To: blogblogginaway

So many people are throwing away their lives and careers for this guy.Its truly breathtaking


7 posted on 09/24/2004 5:30:45 PM PDT by skaterboy
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To: nuffsenuff

you beat me to it. what a lightweight. a little pressure and he folds!


8 posted on 09/24/2004 5:31:38 PM PDT by mk2000
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To: counterpunch

and he's worth every penny.


Both of them.


9 posted on 09/24/2004 5:31:51 PM PDT by SmithL (Vietnam-era Vet - Still fighting Hillary's half-vast left-wing conspiracy)
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To: blogblogginaway
situational ethics...
10 posted on 09/24/2004 5:33:49 PM PDT by Chode (American Hedonist ©®)
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To: blogblogginaway

Mr. Brinkley, we thought perhaps you were developing a conscience, or at least a sense of shame -- but thank you for setting the record straight.


11 posted on 09/24/2004 5:35:19 PM PDT by solzhenitsyn ("Live Not By Lies")
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To: blogblogginaway
So they are public perceptions but not HIS perceptions.

Clear as mud!!!!

12 posted on 09/24/2004 5:35:31 PM PDT by OldFriend (It's the soldier, not the reporter who has given US freedom of the press)
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To: solzhenitsyn
Even the original statement was light on the Kerry critique and heavy on the Bush criticism. Did you read the entire original statement? Here it is, from the NYT:

"Every American now knows that there's something really screwy about George Bush and the National Guard, and they know that John Kerry was not the war hero we thought he was," said Douglas Brinkley, the historian and author of a friendly biography of Mr. Kerry's war years, acknowledging that Mr. Kerry's opponents had succeeded in raising questions about his service.

13 posted on 09/24/2004 5:39:02 PM PDT by savedbygrace
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To: blogblogginaway

But the NYT is sticking to it's story?


14 posted on 09/24/2004 5:41:52 PM PDT by Mike Darancette (Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.)
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To: blogblogginaway

Kerry, threatening to sue his official biographer, ......


15 posted on 09/24/2004 5:43:41 PM PDT by mabelkitty (Troll-Patrol! You've been warned.)
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To: skaterboy; blogblogginaway
There is a phrase I wish to inject into the debate.

Will John Kerry be the last man to die "in" Vietnam?

Dan Rather is "dead anchor walking."

Brinkely is "dead author writing."

who else will "die in Vietnam" in John Kerry's kamikaze flame out?

16 posted on 09/24/2004 5:46:12 PM PDT by Phsstpok (often wrong, but never in doubt)
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To: blogblogginaway
Just as I am shocked that it took Rathergate to get more attention focused un the amount of trust that is placed in sources of news - I am amazed that the profession of "Presidential Historian" has not received more critical attention to date. Brinkley is a suck up who has positioned himself to be the presidential historian of the Kerry Administration. Someone please tell Douglas that there will not be a Kerry Administration - so all the time he spent figuratively on his knees was wasted.

Seriously - the next time you see a panel with Brinkley, Kearns-Goodwin, Bechschloss, et. al. - you have to ask: Who ever suggested that these few folks had a unique or particularly valuable perspective on the Presidency? And why should we place inordinate faith in their observations?

17 posted on 09/24/2004 6:17:02 PM PDT by Wally_Kalbacken
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To: Wally_Kalbacken
Douglas that there will not be a Kerry Administration - so all the time he spent figuratively on his knees was wasted.

Sir, you presume it was "figuratively", not actually.

18 posted on 09/24/2004 7:02:55 PM PDT by leadhead
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To: leadhead

You may have a point there.


19 posted on 09/24/2004 8:28:07 PM PDT by Wally_Kalbacken
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